Combination trunk



(No Model.) .2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

S. T. ANDRUS. COMBINATION TRUNK, BUREAU, AND WRITING TABLE.

No. 521,873. Patented June 26, 1894.

I I o L I Z,

. {N M d l.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S.T.ANDRUS.

' GUMBINATION TRUNK, BUREAU, AND WRITING TABLE. No. 521,873. PatentedJune 26, 1894.

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SALLIE T. ANDRUS, or AURORA, ILLINOIS.

COMBINATION TRUNK, BUREAU, AND WRlTlNG-TABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 521,873, dated June 26,1894. pr e filed February 27, 1894. serial No. 501,658. woman.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, SALLIE T. ANDRUS, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Au rora, in the county of Kaneand State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Combination Trunk,Bureau,"and Writing-Table, of

. tion especially adapting the same for the purposes required of it. a 1

With these and other objects in view which will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in thenovel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinaftermore fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:Figure 1 is a perspective view of acombination trunk and bureau constructed in accordance with thisinvention, shown in its closed position. Fig. 2 is a similar viewshowing the cover thrownopen in position for use as a table, andadapting the article for use as a bureau. Fig. 3 is avertical transversesectional view of the combined trunk and bureau showing the removabledrawer frame partly slid out from the body of the trunk as in the act ofremoval. Fig. 4: is an enlarged central longitudinal sectional i viewshowing the con struction and adaptation of the folding legs.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A represents a substantiallyrectangular trunkbody constructed in substantially the same shape andsizes as ordinary traveling trunks,

and this trunk body consists of the rear side wall B, the opposite endwalls 0, and the top and bottom walls D and E, respectively, which T areassembled together in any suitable manner and leavea frontopening at oneside which is adapted to be inclosed bythei hinged front cover F. Thefront cover F, is hinged at its upper edge to the front edge ofthe topwall I), on the strap hinges G, placed atsuitable distance'sapart andforming a secure connection between the cover and the top of thetrunk,'and.when closed the upper edge of said cover is adapted, to fitbeneath the top flange plate H, which projects from the up per frontedge of the top wall D, and serves to close in the top joint of thecover and prevent dampness and dust from working its way inside of thetrunk, and to the opposite side edges of the cover F, areattached theflanged corner plates or strips I, which embrace the opposite side edgesof the trunk body, when thecover is closed and act in the same capacityas the top flange plate H, tocover the side joints when the cover isclosed and keep out dampness and dust.

' The front cover-F,incloses the entire front opening of the trunk body,and, when closed, fits snugly over the upper edge of the front bottomstrip J, attached to the front bottom edge of the trunk body to receivethe bolt of the cover lock K, fitted in the swinging edge of the coverto provide for locking the same closed, and the cover is additionallysecured in its closed position by means of thepivoted 'latch'plates L,pivoted at Z, to the outside of the cover F, and provided with fingerflanges Z, and rounded cam edges Z which are adapted to be moved in rearof the heads of the headedcatch studs or pins Z projected from the frontbottom strip J.

The construction just described substantially completes the main body ofthe trunk to adapt the same for the reception of goods when the trunk isused simply; for traveling purposes, and in order to give sufficientstrengthto the trunk the corner edges of the same are suitably boundwith the corner binding strips M, while the body of the trunk may beencircled by any number of suitable strengthening bands, such as areordinarily employed in trunks of this character, and at opposite ends ofthe trunk body are arranged the usual flexible handles N, which provideconvenient means for readily handling or moving the trunk in theordinary manner, and as thus. formed andadapted foruse in traveling, thetrunk may beset in any convenient position for packing and unpacking thesame. To adapt the trunk for use as abureau the removable drawer orshelf frame P. The re movable drawer or shelf frame P, is capable ofbeing readily removed and replaced within the body of the trunk andconsists of the parallel shelves p, permanently or rigidly connectedtogether by a series of intermediate partition boards p',which not onlyprovide means for permitting both shelves to be drawn outat the sametime, but at the same time provide spaces or openings to receivesuitable drawers 19 some of which may be larger than others toaccommodate hats and bonnets, or other similar articles, while thesmaller drawers may be used for such articles as shoes, slippers,stockings, 860., and the smaller drawers are preferably separated fromeach other by a separate horizontal partition wall 13 the side edges ofwhich are joined to any two of the partition boards 19', as clearlyillustrated in Fig. 2. of the draw- Ihe parallel shelves p, of theremovable drawer or shelf frame P, are provided near their outer edgeswith the finger notches Q, topermit the fingers to easily grasp the saiddrawer or shelf frame and slide the same entirely out of the body of thetrunk when so desired, as illustrated in Fig. 3, of the drawings, andwhen in position within the trunk body with the several drawers properlyin position, it will be readily apparent that convenient means areprovidedvfor placing various articles properly away, and thereforeadapting the trunk for use as an ordinary bureau, while at the same timeby throwing the cover F, back over the top of the trunk, a flat toptable is provided which may be conveniently used for writing or anyother purpose desired.

The combination character of the hereindcscribed trunk necessarilyinvolves means for easily moving the same from place to place, and toprovide for this, I hinge to opposite bottom portions of the trunk body,or at least to the bottom wall E, the hinged legs R. The legs R, arehinged on the hinges r, to the bottom of the trunk, whereby the same canbe folded fiat against the bottom of the trunk and entirely inclosedwithin the encircling bottom flange S, projected from the bottom of thetrunk and partly formed by the front bottom strip J. Thesaid legs R, areprovided with the opposite feet T, depending from each extremity thereofand carrying the caster rollers 25, to insure the easy moving of thetrunk, and at an intermediate point between their feet, the said legsare provided with the curved or rounded transverse grooves U, extending.from diagonally opposite corners and terminating in the abruptengagement shoulders u, and, as the legs are unfolded to lower theirfeet from within the flange S, the grooves U shift the sitions.

engagement of the lock springs V. The springs V, are ordinary leaf metalsprings secured fast as at '0, to the bottom of the trunk and areprovided near their outer free ends with the off-standing locking flangeor lip W, doubled out from the body of the springs and adapted to engageat one side of either shoulder extremity u, of the grooves U, to holdthe legs locked in their folded and unfolded po- When the legs arefolded flat against the bottom of the trunk body a portion of thesprings V, fit in the grooves U, and the flange or lips W, engage at oneside of one of the shoulder extremities u, and prevent the legs frombecoming accidentally disarranged. By depressing the free end of thespring to carry the flange or lip out of engagement with the legs intheir folded position, said legs may be unfolded and brought to aposition resting at one side against the end portions of the flange S,and this position allows the flange or lip W, to drop in engagementbehind the other shoulder extremity of the legs to hold the same lockedin this position also". A finger flange X, extends beyond the lockingflange or lips W, of the spring, to providefor manipulating the same.

Changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction,may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificingany of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to besecured by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a trunk, the combination of the substantially rectangular trunkbody consisting of the rear side wall,opposite end walls and a top andbottom wall,.and provided at its front lower edge with a bottom strip, atop flange plate projected from the upper front edge of the top wall ofthe trunk body, a hinged front cover hinged at its upper edge tothefront top edge of the trunk and provided at its opposite side edgeswith flanged corner plates adapted toembrace theopposite side edges ofthe trunk body, headed catch studs or pins projected from said frontbottour strip, and latch plates pivoted to theicovcr and provided withrounded cam edges adapted to engage inrear of the edge of said studs orpins, substantially asset forth.

2. In a combined trunk and bureau, the combination of a substantiallyrectangular trunk body provided with a hinged trunk cover, and having initsopposite end walls op posite pairs of parallel supporting groovesleading out to the front side edges of the body,a removable andreplaceable drawer frame comprising parallel shelves and a series ofintermediate partitionboards permanently or rigidly connecting saidshelves, the latter being provided with projected ends adapted tolooselyengage in said supporting grooves drawer frame occupying anintermediateportion of the trunk body and when removed IIO and fingernotches near their front edges said.

leaving the trunk space unoccupied, and suitable drawers or traysarranged for support between the shelves of the removable drawer frameand providinga part of such frame so as to be removed therewith whendesired, substantially as set forth.

3. In' a trunk of the class described, the combination with the trunkbody having an encircling bottom flange, of opposite legs hinged toopposite bottom portions of the trunk body and adapted to be foldedwithin said encircling bottom flange, said legs being provided at theirextremities with opposite feet carrying caster rollers, and at a pointintermediate of the feet with'rounded transverse grooves terminating atdiagonally opposite points in abrupt engagement shoulders, and metallock springs secured to the bottom of the trunk body at one end andprovided near

